Clash between Brussels and Warsaw over rule of law reflects wider tensions over sovereignty

Over the past week, top officials from the Polish government and the European Union have been involved in frantic talks aimed at defusing a dispute over what is seen in Brussels as a potential threat to the rule of law in Poland.

The clash has raised anew fundamental questions over the European project. In particular, they include what powers should the EU institutions have to protect the democratic nature of the union, and how prescriptive should Brussels be in establishing acceptable rules of the political game?